Volkswagen admits it can't cope with new emissions tests

Germany's Volkswagen has warned its main factory in Wolfsburg faces temporary shutdowns later this year, owing to new emissions test standards. From September, more rigorous EU standards apply, designed to replicate real driving conditions more closely. At a meeting with unions on Wednesday, chief executive Herbert Diess admitted that meeting the new requirements, and getting new cars approved for sale, was proving a challenge. "We will only build vehicles after the works holiday that fulfil the new standards. The deliveries will take place gradually as soon as the necessary approvals are there," Mr Diess told staff. The firm was found to have falsified diesel vehicles' emission levels by installing software "Defeat devices" that allowed the vehicles to perform better in test conditions than they did on the road..